Remote Access
Give your company the edge you need to be more effective and productive with remote access capability. It is not enough to carry a laptop on business calls. There are syncronization nightmares, last minute changes, and other obstacles. Connect to your desktop or terminal server at anytime with remote access software. Terminal services, pc anywhere, VNC, remote administrator and Citrix are a few of the ways you can access your desktop remotely.
Windows Terminal Services - windows has supported terminal services since Windows NT4.0 Terminal Server edition and current versions of Windows Servers have this functionality built in. We use this type of connection to support many clients accross the country and it is our preferred method, but in windows 2000 and NT 4.0 it only works on the server Operating Systems. Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Media Center are the only desktop operating systems in windows that support RDP (remote desktop protocol). Wonderful solution for small businesses that own at least one server, and use lightweight or thin clients.
Symantec PCanywhere - great for connecting to windows desktops. Ideal for Windows 98, 2000pro and XP Home. With symantec you are assured of security in the conenction. Supports external network access.
VNC - Virtual Network Connection works in most operating systems including Windows, Linux, and Unix. This free product is great for managing desktops remotely in a mixed operating system environment, and the VNC client can even connect to a windows terminal server using RDP.
Citrix Meta Frame - Superb product from Citrix, lays over windows terminal services and adds functionality to it. I can relay sound and high color to the Windows 2000 server family, and has advanced features like load balancing and remote user management. Ideal for remotely managing numerous servers, or for where thin clients are used almost exclusively. IS Systems was the first Citrix reseller in texas and we continue to sell and support the product.
Windows Netmeeting - This product is build in to windows desktops and available for download on thier servers. It was originally designed to share desktops and for support. Though cumbersome it can be a good solution for internal management of legacy computers. For example for support reasons you could have Terminal Services remote administration on a server that IS Systems could log into, and windows net meeting on desktops to go from the server to directly help the person who needs it.
Other Products - There are numerous other products out there for the remote desktop market, inluding GoToMyPC, Radmin, and Remote Administrator
Why so much discussion of remote access? - IS Systems uses remote access extensively inhouse as well as a favored support avenue for our clients. We often reccomend such a solution because it is much more cost effective to do what we can from our office, then to fly us out every time there is a problem. Also, because we use it extensively, our cients have witnessed first had the freedom of accessing your desktop, files, and email, from anywhere in the world there is an internet connection; imagine what your employees could accomplish if they could work while business traveling, or from home as well.